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Video Games: Brain Gain or Drain? – Women in Gaming

The author of “Getting Women in the Game”, Shira Chess is the focus of my interview this time. She is a visiting professor at Department of Mass Communication, Miami University, Ohio. Her article appeared in the National Communication Associations journal, Communication Currents. Her article “analyzes the advertising strategy use to market video games to women. The increase in advertising started when more women were observed to be playing Nintendo Wii, PC Casual Gaming and Facebook Games. The copywriting often combines the idea of play and productivity, and messages are subtle rather than direct. Analysis of specific advertising such as the “My Wii Story,” and that of “Brain Age” game are explored.” In our conversation we also talked about how women are restricted in the roles they can play in video games and must fall under the caveat of beauty and self-care. She also pointed out how women are chastised for wasting time in ways that you don’t see for male players.